: Hi guys,
: I am new to this site and am seeking advice on building another
: stitch and glue. I currently paddle a Pygmy Golden eye and find
: allot of weather cocking in following seas and winds. Are there
: other Pygmy boats or other S&G boats that I can build that
: handle better in these situations? I do most of my paddling in
: the San Francisco Bay area where wind is a big factor.
: Thanks for you help.
: David Kroll

I am not familiar with the Goldeneye, but my first successful own-design deckless kayak has a symmetrical hull in both plan and profile. It exhibits fairly strong weathercocking; it sits level on the water so the hull on its own is balanced and my theory is the area of the paddlers body aft of midships unbalances it. The weathercocking improved with the addition of a fixed skeg but is still present to a lesser degree: the skeg makes it run very straight which is nice but now it takes more work to turn. calculations and experiments both suggest it needs about 40 sq.in. more side area at the bow to balance in a beam wind.